Worship Ministry Update 9/16/08

This is the weekly worship ministry update.  If you'd rather not receive this, just reply and let me know!  Otherwise, happy reading!

 

2009 Vision: serving the community through the arts and acts of kindness

 

    Thanks to so many people who came and supported us last first night!  In fact, not everyone could fit into the room in which we we're playing!  I welcome any comments from any of you who were able to hear us: what you liked, what you didn't like, how we can improve, etc.  Enclosed is a picture taken by photographer extraordinaire: Brenda Esparza. :)

 

Choir & Orchestra practice this Sunday night!

 

    We had a great turn out for the choir and orchestra again, praise the Lord!  You all sounded good on the new song "How Can I Keep From Singing."  

 

    We're still looking for more people to join us!  Come this Sunday night at 6:00 P.M. in the worship center and check it out!  Everyone in 8th grade or older is welcome to join us.

 

    I've timed out the musical with the drama, and it totals 71 minutes (including the greeting, communion, decision, offering, closing, etc.)  So to make sure we end on time, I'm cutting one song: "How Great our Joy." (I can hear the collective "boo" already!  Sorry.)  So don't worry about practicing that one, but we'll do it next year, God willing!

 

    This Sunday night we will be practicing "Little Town" & "Let the Worshippers Arise."  We'll also be passing out the worship tunes for when we lead worship on October 5.  Some have asked about which songs we are practicing for the remainder of the year, so here goes:

 

        9/21: "Little Town" & "Let the Worshippers Arise"

   

        9/28: Practice for 10/5 worship service, including "How Can I Keep From Singing."

 

        10/5: "My Soul Does Magnify" (my favorite!)

 

        10/12: "Do You Hear What I Hear?" & "My Soul Does Magnify"

 

        10/19: "Sing Noel" & "One King"

 

        10/26: Practice for 11/2 worship service, including "Let the Worshippers Arise."

 

        11/2: "Two Kingdoms" (choir only),  "Underscore 1" & Herod Underscore" (orchestra only)

 

        11/9-11/16 Full group practice for November 23 @ Eastland Mall!

 

    By the way: solo tryout are coming up fast!  Anyone who wishes to audition for a solo, please come to the dining room on Sunday night, Sept. 28 at 5:00 P.M.  Remember that we have lots of solos this year, and this is the best way to audition for the praise team and solos in the future, so I encourage you to give it a try!

       

Praise Team practice moved to Wednesday  this week (Sept. 17)

 

    Because of the ITT graduation in the worship center today, Sept. 16, we will have practice in the worship center this Wednesday, Sept. 17.  Please let me know if you can't make it and I'll be happy to practice with you some other time.

 

Value for the month of September: Matthew 18

 

    Matthew 18: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

 

    Jesus is quite clear: we are to go directly to the person who has offended us and talk about it in a loving way.  I like what Rory Noland has to say about this in his book Thriving as an Artist.  He says, "Remember that how you say something is just as important as what you say.  that principle should apply from the beginning of the conversation, because when it comes to expressing anger, those first words out of your mouth are extremely important.  You don't have to sugarcoat your words.  You don't have to walk on eggshells.  But at some point you have to articulate the fact that you're angry or offended" (Noland 87).

 

    I've found that it is important to get control of my emotions first.  Once I'm calm, then I can go to the person and say "something happened this morning that was upsetting to me: can we talk about it?"  Then I gradually introduce what happened (without attacking) and explain how it made me feel.  The conversation usually flows from there, and the end result is a strengthened relationship.   

 

     God bless you all!

 

          Phill   

 

 

Phill Foust

Minister of Worship

First Christian Church of Newburgh

4544 State Rd. 261

Newburgh, IN 47630

 

Office phone: (812) 858-5000

Cell phone:    (812) 449-3474

Fax:              (812) 858-5001

www.fccn.org

Pfoust@fccn.org